Which Yacht for ARC/Med use?

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crazy4557

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Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to this 'dark' side having had motorboats for several years so looking for some advice from you pro's on here:encouragement:

Myself and a good friend are looking to boat share a modern 40-46' used yacht that will mainly be used in Sardinia but would be capable of longer trips around the Med but also completing the ARC and back again.
Our needs are the following:

Popular manufacturer for ease of sale/parts etc
Decent sail performance as a cruiser rather than a racer
Good build quality
3 cabins
Around 8-10 years old max
Comfortably sailed by two persons if needed
Budget circa £100 - 120k
Low maintenance - no varnishing etc

Looking at Beneteau/Hanse, this level of quality which I know is the 'Ford Mondeo' of the yacht market but as the boat is in the Med and we live in the UK then consistent maintenance on an older boat is going to be an issue from a distance so a more modern boat is attractive but I guess the build quality will be lower but hopefully still acceptable!

Can anyone give some pointers or views on this sector of the yacht market?
 
I believe the jeanneau sun odyssey 42i is a boat worth looking at. Another boat but slightly older than 10 years old is the Beneteau Oceanis 423.
 
crazy4557 said:
...consistent maintenance on an older boat is going to be an issue from a distance so a more modern boat is attractive but I guess the build quality will be lower but hopefully still acceptable!
Click to expand...

Quite the opposite! More modern boats have higher build quality. Add recent Bavarias to your list.
 
crazy4557 said:
Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to this 'dark' side having had motorboats for several years so looking for some advice from you pro's on here:encouragement:

Myself and a good friend are looking to boat share a modern 40-46' used yacht that will mainly be used in Sardinia but would be capable of longer trips around the Med but also completing the ARC and back again.
Our needs are the following:

Popular manufacturer for ease of sale/parts etc
Decent sail performance as a cruiser rather than a racer
Good build quality
3 cabins
Around 8-10 years old max
Comfortably sailed by two persons if needed
Budget circa £100 - 120k
Low maintenance - no varnishing etc

Looking at Beneteau/Hanse, this level of quality which I know is the 'Ford Mondeo' of the yacht market but as the boat is in the Med and we live in the UK then consistent maintenance on an older boat is going to be an issue from a distance so a more modern boat is attractive but I guess the build quality will be lower but hopefully still acceptable!

Can anyone give some pointers or views on this sector of the yacht market?
Click to expand...

Beneteau 473
S
PS The early 2000s are better quality in my opinion and dont kid yourself that more expensive boats/names are better quality!
 
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I agree with Stu, the Beneteau 473 would be a good choice, imho. Plenty about to choose from, a popular boat from a popular stable. My pal has one and I've crewed several thousand miles with him, many of those has been just the two of us. His left the UK in 2010 and has been cruising The Med since.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. I will look at the 473 as I'm led to believe the pre financial crash 2008 boats maybe better built or is this bol0x?

I assume Jeanneau/Beneteau are similar build quality, what about Hanse, are these worth considering? By all means PM me if you don't want to spill the beans on an open forum.
 
You can use the same boat for the ARC and the Med but the ideal boat for the two is not the same. The Med will find you in crowded places a lot of the time so a compact boat will be best. For the ARC you will mostly be at anchor on the other side and the tradewind crossing will always be very rolly. In the caribbean anything under 45 ft is small.

My choice would be a 35 ft mono for the Med, a 40+ ft cat for the ARC.
 
crazy4557 said:
Thanks everyone for your replies. I will look at the 473 as I'm led to believe the pre financial crash 2008 boats maybe better built or is this bol0x?

I assume Jeanneau/Beneteau are similar build quality, what about Hanse, are these worth considering? By all means PM me if you don't want to spill the beans on an open forum.
Click to expand...

Hanses of that period have a variable reputation for quality but now seem as good as main competitors - my observation based on recently buying new in that market space. Chose a Bavaria, my second.

As suggested the mid 40' is probably the best compromise. Under 12m is attractive in the Med if you frequent marinas and particularly if you want a permanent berth in a popular marina where cost often jump over 12m. On the other hand for ARC waterline length is more important for potential speed over distance.

Personally I would choose a Bavaria either a 44 or 46. You will find these popular in ARC as well as in the med, but equivalent Jeanneaus and Beneteaus are equally popular, so choice becomes personal.
 
crazy4557 said:
Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to this 'dark' side having had motorboats for several years so looking for some advice from you pro's on here:encouragement:

Myself and a good friend are looking to boat share a modern 40-46' used yacht that will mainly be used in Sardinia but would be capable of longer trips around the Med but also completing the ARC and back again.
Our needs are the following:

Popular manufacturer for ease of sale/parts etc
Decent sail performance as a cruiser rather than a racer
Good build quality
3 cabins
Around 8-10 years old max
Comfortably sailed by two persons if needed
Budget circa £100 - 120k
Low maintenance - no varnishing etc

Looking at Beneteau/Hanse, this level of quality which I know is the 'Ford Mondeo' of the yacht market but as the boat is in the Med and we live in the UK then consistent maintenance on an older boat is going to be an issue from a distance so a more modern boat is attractive but I guess the build quality will be lower but hopefully still acceptable!

Can anyone give some pointers or views on this sector of the yacht market?
Click to expand...

Amel Santorin without hesitation.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1992/Amel-Santorin-2843808/France#.VpJXxe5IiUk
http://www.ayc-yachtbroker.com/node/28129
 
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Personally I would avoid Hanse if you want to do the ARC. Sure plenty have gone across without issue, but the sail-plan (self-tacking fractional jib, swept spreaders, small coachroof winches) is better suited to marina-hopping around the Med than Ocean crossing.

If you want a Med boat that can also do ocean work, better to go for a mast-head rig like most Bavs, Jeanns, Bens.
 
Ric said:
If you want a Med boat that can also do ocean work, better to go for a mast-head rig like most Bavs, Jeanns, Bens.
Click to expand...
None of their modern designs have masthead rigs. They are all fractional although many are 9/10ths. I think you meant with non self tacking headsails which invariably have proportionally larger jibs/genoas.
 
Ric said:
Personally I would avoid Hanse if you want to do the ARC. Sure plenty have gone across without issue, but the sail-plan (self-tacking fractional jib, swept spreaders, small coachroof winches) is better suited to marina-hopping around the Med than Ocean crossing
Click to expand...

A client of ours sailed his Hanse 385 from Europe to Australia:

http://www.sailing-interlude.com

For the down wind sailing just add a cruising chute to your inventory...

Pete
 
If you are sharing the boat and might both use it together I'd go for something centre cockpit and sturdy.

Moody 42 should just come into budget, as would the Beneteau 44cc and the Bavaria Ocean 40/42

Moody for £95k http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2003/Moody-42-CC-2786722/Spain#.VpLKoV_fWnN

Bavaria ocean 40 http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2002/Bavaria-40-Ocean-2823083/France#.VpLLLF_fWnM

Beneteau 44 http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1999/Beneteau-Oceanis-44-CC-2873832/United-States#.VpLLYl_fWnM


Frankly a 2003 Moody 42 is a bargain at sub 100k, before I looked I was expecting the ask to be £120-£140k.

The ultimate boat for your purposes would be a Moody 46 but I seriously doubt you'd get one for £120k but they are a seriously high quality machine - easily a match for mobo quality in the fit out.
 
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Looked at the Beneteau 473's for sale bust just wondered if there's a typical Med spec for yachts similar to motor boats, like genny/air con/passerelle etc or do most yachts do without at this price/age point ?
 
There may be a Med package, but most of us Northerners will be unaware of it.

If buying in the Med, I'd expect to see a minimum of a bimini and a pasarelle and maybe some anchor handling gear at the stern. I think aircon is unusual at 'normal' sizes. One thing it is good to have is water cooling for the fridge. Many boats also have solar panels, although most of these look like owner add-ons rather than original equipment.
 
Just to add a couple more points. as said AC is rare on sailboats of that size because of space considerations for the required generator and AX kit. small fans in the accommodation are useful as are windscoops. The main requirements are keeping cool - food, beer in particular, so good fridge, sun shades (bimini and deck cover) Passerelle, good anchoring with remote controlled windlass and probably a bow thruster. Water capacity, holding tank (sizes dependent on crew) and electrical capacity plus charging facilities. some boats have watermaker, but really not necessary in the Med in you have good capacity.
 
My Bavaria 49 has done pretty-much that perfectly, and you can get one inside your budget.
 
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